volt

/vəʊlt/

//vəʊlt// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"volt" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“volt” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,248 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#19,248
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In the International System of Units, the derived unit of electrical potential and electromotive force (voltage); the potential difference across a conductor when a current of one ampere uses one w...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

volt vs vow
50% similar
volt vs vox
50% similar
volt vs Vos
25% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for volt
PropertyValue
Headwordvolt
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/vəʊlt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#19,248
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “volt” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). volt lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for volt is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /vəʊlt/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,248 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for volt, with forms such as "ovlt", "vlot", and "vollt". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "vow", "vox", "Vos", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Named after Italian physicist Alessandro Volta. For the surname, see Italian Volta. The correct English form is volt, spelled V-O-L-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    In the International System of Units, the derived unit of electrical potential and electromotive force (voltage); the potential difference across a conductor when a current of one ampere uses one watt of power. Symbol: V
  2. 2
    A bright yellow-green colour often used in Nike products.
  3. 3
    A bright yellow-green colour often used in Nike products. volt:

Etymology

Named after Italian physicist Alessandro Volta. For the surname, see Italian Volta.

This word in other languages

voltio(Español)volt(Français)Volt(Deutsch)volt(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ovlt,vlot,vollt,voltt,votl,vvolt

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of volt - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ovlt2vlot2vollt1voltt1votl2vvolt1
Edit distance from "volt"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "volt"?
"volt" is spelled V-O-L-T. The IPA pronunciation is /vəʊlt/.
What does "volt" mean?
As a noun, "volt" means: In the International System of Units, the derived unit of electrical potential and electromotive force (voltage); the potential difference across a conductor when a current of one ampere uses one w...
What words are commonly confused with "volt"?
"volt" is commonly confused with "vow", "vox", "Vos". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "volt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "volt" is /vəʊlt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "volt"?
Named after Italian physicist Alessandro Volta. For the surname, see Italian Volta. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “volt”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is V-O-L-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /vəʊlt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “vow” - see the side-by-side comparison. volt vs vow
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list